STORIES & SOLUTIONS FOR THE MODERN BUSINESS USER

The COVID-19 pandemic illuminated many areas in healthcare that need innovation, some of the most glaring catalysts for change being supply chain disruptions, stock shortages, and rising procurement costs. According to industry analyst Gartner, the total supply chain cost to serve a health system averages 37.3 percent of the total cost of patient care. As health systems and medical centers look to lower supply chain costs and build a more resilient supply chain, there are key areas modern ERP is helping hospitals and health systems improve supply chain management (SCM).

Ask an expert

I recently heard the term "portfolio of changes." Is that a concept or tangible asset you recommend companies create?

Where do return to work plans stand now that the highly contagious Delta variant is surging across the country? Google mobility data shows that workplace activity in some cities is still about 50 percent below pre-pandemic levels. While many organizations announced September as the return to work target, there is a growing trend in pushing that back, with some experts predicting that the new “return” date will be in 2022. But what will this return look like? For many people, the longer they are at home, the less they want to return to the office. A Prudential survey of U.S. workers shows that 42 percent of current remote workers will look for another job if they are not offered remote options. While some workers are calling for full time remote, others want to return, missing the social aspect and career advancement opportunities that happen in the office.

Whether your M&A strategy has left you with a patchwork of systems and disparate processes, your vendor has announced plans for decommissioning its legacy solution, or your 20+ year old system fails to make operations more efficient, it’s time to upgrade your infrastructure. Staying with legacy systems is not an option; it is only a path to being left further behind.

Technology has changed a lot in the last 20 years with beepers and palm pilots giving way to mobility and modern analytics. However, many higher education institutions are operating on legacy systems that are more than 20 years old, and often cobbling together several systems to achieve functionality they need. With an eye on better visibility, many institutions are considering technology modernization, including shifting student systems to the cloud. As institutions consider the options for moving to the cloud, here are three reasons to do it now.

People are reaching retirement age at an exponential rate compared to ever before, with 10,000 baby boomers turning 65 every day through 2029. The expected number of Americans over the age of 65 who will need care by 2050 is greater than 15 million. An aging population presents major challenges for long-term care providers, many of which are running outdated software with manual processes to get work done. Every long-term care (LTC), home care, and assisted living organization should consider ERP modernization to keep pace with changing patient needs and streamline, simplify, and automate processes. We’ve taken a look at the top focus areas for building the business case for modernization in the long-term care industry.

Ask an expert: THE BALANCING ACT

How can we balance the change tolerance of the individual and that of the organization? How do you respect the team's fatigue with the demands of the world?

Public-facing dashboards provide transparency and accessibility, build connection and trust within communities, and empower leaders and residents to make data-backed decisions. In the past year our communities have faced the COVID -19 pandemic head-on. It’s no surprise that this led to a rise in dashboard use among state and local governments as well as the public. From tracking coronavirus cases to tracking vaccination rates, many government organizations know the benefit of visualizing data and then making that visual available to the public.

As many organizations are shifting to the cloud, the selection, pre-implementation and deployment processes are critical to making digital transformation successful. A recent survey of 1,675 CTOs and enterprise architects found that more than half of surveyed organizations plan to transition existing ERP systems to the cloud. Results also found that many projects fail to meet expectations due to lack of buy-in from end users. How can you combat this and modernize your organization to see success in a digital transformation project?

Ask an expert: Improving Success with Change

I have found that intentional, facilitated conversations and the one-on-one approach makes a difference in improving success with change. Do you have thoughts about the balance between the two?